Optimization Editor

Once again, the students have returned to the University of Georgia and the other institutions of higher education in and around Athens. And once again, those of us who’ve been privileged to see this ritual repeated year after year are tempted — and more often than not succumb — to waxing rhapsodic about the blessings of living in a town that seems, from our vantage point of welcoming a new group of freshmen every fall, to be forever young.

Of a piece with that celebration of Athens are the paroxysms of self-congratulation that accompany our fair city being named to some list or another of the top 10 this or the best that.

Let Athens be recognized for its music scene, its cuisine, its appeal as a retirement venue, its college football tailgating, or whatever, and local boosters will blanket social media with links to the publication or organization bestowing the accolade, along with their own thoughts on how, goodness gracious, Athens is such a great place to live, work, play, visit, etc., etc. and etc.

Lest the wrong impression be created, let it be said here and now that there’s nothing at all wrong with celebrating the essence of Athens as an appealing college town that happens to have a host of other reasons to recommend itself as a place where people should want to spend some time, maybe even a lifetime.

It only makes sense to ensure that the deserved recognitions of Athens as a truly special place to live are broadcast far and wide. Doing so ensures that young students, new retirees and businesses and industries interested in the kinds of things that bring Athens all of its positive attention might be enticed to bring their own vitality to our community.

But, even as those people and entities are no doubt paying attention to local boosterism, they’re also paying attention to the things that go on here that won’t make a “best of” list. Things like a Sunday report in this newspaper about two men who kidnapped — at gunpoint — and then robbed and beat two people, one of whom is a University of Georgia student.

Regardless of how loudly Athens’ positive achievements and attributes are trumpeted, those kinds of crime stories will, sooner or later, catch the ear of the wider world.

Now, certainly, the root causes of the kinds of crime like the incident recounted in Sunday’s newspaper are complex and thus, not necessarily subject to easy solutions.

But just as it has taken years of work and dedication from across the community to earn Athens its positive accolades, it’s certainly possible that a steady and determined focus, already evident in some quarters, on addressing the community’s negative aspects might be a worthwhile effort.

Of course, the things that make Athens great should be celebrated. But making Athens a truly great place to live will also require an unblinking look at the things that detract from that potential.

TWITTER: I’m @Jim__Thompson, where you’ll find things like previews of upcoming editorial page content, links to interesting reading, and other such things. Enjoy!